Mulan – rise and rise of a warrior

BANGKOK: Age, they say, is just a number. And it faded into irrelevance every time national cager Pang Hui Pin (pic) stepped onto court.

The 35-year-old veteran, fondly known as Mulan, reaffirmed her status as the backbone in the women’s 3x3 campaign when she combined experience with intensity to steer the team through high-pressure moments en route to the bronze medal.

In a tense bronze-medal playoff, with the score locked at 20-20, Hui Pin kept her composure and nailed the decisive basket with just 11 seconds remaining to seal victory.

Malaysia Basketball Association (Maba) vice president Chey That Woon lauded Hui Pin’s spirt and impact on the court.

“Mulan delivered an outstanding performance in the women’s 3x3 event,” said That Woon.

“Although she is a veteran, her fighting spirit and dedication are qualities other players should emulate.”

The national basketball squad achieved the target set by Maba president Datuk Seri Lee Tian Hock of two medals after the men’s 3x3 team delivered another bronze to the tally.

It was, however, a disappointing outcome for both the men’s and women’s 5x5 teams, who went down fighting to Indonesia in the bronze-medal matches.

Despite the losses, the overall showing was encouraging, with Malaysian teams competing against opponents featuring naturalised players with significant physical advantages.

The men’s team, in particular, delivered a notable performance by winning Malaysia’s first-ever 3x3 medal since the event’s inclusion in 2019, while also reaching the semi-finals for the first time in 12 years.

“Overall, I am satisfied with the team’s performance,” said That Woon.

“We are particularly competitive in the 3x3 events.

“In women’s 5x5, although we lost to the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, all the defeats were by single-digit margins, so the gap is not large and can be addressed.

“For the men’s 5x5 team, some of the teams have naturalised players, especially from the Middle East, who are generally much taller.

“If we are able to include foreign players next time, it would be a big help to our team.”

Looking ahead, That Woon acknowledged that Malaysian basketball still has a long way to go.

“We need long-term, systematic preparation with a clear talent development pathway, supported by more high-level international warm-up matches,” said That Woon.

“At the same, we need to upgrade our overall basketball system and stay aligned with international trends in both 3x3 and 5x5, particularly in areas such as pace, transition and spacing.” — By NG CHIA YIN